Dunlop Family, April 2012

My husband and I decided that hiring a doula would be, at the very least, worth researching. As much as any first-time parent would feel uncertain about some aspects of the birthing process, being first-time parents planning to deliver a baby in a foreign country tends to compound that feeling. I knew I wanted a natural birth and that a doula could be helpful in that process. I had met Gail a few times through some mutual friends and had heard that she had become a doula. My husband and I decided to hire her. Gail is, without a doubt, an invaluable resource! There is a plethora of things one should do to prepare for birth, especially natural birth, and I found it really helpful to have someone who knew those things -- because I definitely did not! On many occasions, Gail has received phone calls or texts from me, asking "Is xyz normal?" It was really helpful to me to know what should be a cause for concern and what should not. (In my case, most things I questioned were normal, so Gail saved me a ton of unnecessary worrying!) I think one of the best things about Gail, in terms of being a doula, is that she doesn't seem to be unnecessarily alarmed about situations. She is a pretty calm person and also has a calming effect on others/me. I am prone to anxiety, so I feel that it is important to have someone who is effective at keeping me calm (or calmer) in potentially high-stress situations. In my situation, everything went well, but there are definitely complications that can arise during birth, and I think Gail would have been very good at handling those situations if they had occurred. For Gail, the job of doula doesn't end when the baby is born; she has also remained involved in our lives and has been very helpful in answering young baby questions that I have. We are so glad that we chose to hire Gail as our doula, and we would recommend her services to anyone.

Schoen Family, January 2012

My husband and I attended a birth class given by Gail and another area doula. We were pregnant with our first and hoping to have a natural birth. We were very inspired by the class. Gail is very passionate about birth – especially natural birth. She shared her personal birth story with our class and that really helped to build our confidence in pursuing a natural delivery. Gail brought helpful teaching aids to class and helped us to be able to visualize what would actually be taking place in my body as our daughter was born. Gail has also been a real encouragement to me with breastfeeding. She is very knowledgeable and we would recommend her for others!